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Thursday, July 18, 2013

Courtesy of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Center for PTSD website

When my friend's brother (I'll refer to him as Sam) returned from
Iraq, he stayed in isolation in his room for some months, only leaving
to meet infrequently with a few friends. He ate his meals in his room
and watched TV and that was it. He rarely changed his clothes and he
wore the same bandanna day in and day out. One day, his mom, my friend,
said something about it. Sam, raged at her, screaming, "My buddy got
blown up in front of me and it's his blood I'm wearing. Nobody washes
this."

His mom said nothing more; she understood as did his siblings and
his dad. He took off the bandanna when he was ready months later; it
remained unwashed and blood soaked, hanging on a dresser mirror for over
a year. Then he finally burned it on his own one night.

That
first year back home, Sam was on the wrong medication, either too little
or too much. The psychiatrist recommended to his parents by his family
doctor did not completely understand PTSD. He didn't follow the best
protocol for a returning vet. Sam was taking 10 meds with varying side
effects that had to be counteracted by additional meds. It was a new
situation for psychiatrists and their diagnosis at the time was spotty.
(It has since improved). He was physically ill and emotionally
distraught, exacerbated all the more by those around him who could still
smile and laugh and take pleasure in ridiculous things.

During
that first year, Sam resisted counseling. His physical and mental
condition worsened. He got into fights and during one of them, broke a
bottle and threatened a group of young men in a parking lot. He was
arrested and faced charges for fighting with a deadly weapon, though he
was defending himself and the buddy who was with him. His family hired a
lawyer and he pleaded guilty and paid fines and worked community
service, his background figured in the sentence. Unable to work, he
found little purpose in his life, but unlike the soldier in the film, The Hurt
Locker, he could never go back and serve in the military for another
tour. He had seen enough.

Toward the end of that first year home,
Sam met up with another returning vet who implored him to go to the V.A.
for help. "They would understand," he said. It was a good thing. The
V.A. doctor who examined Sam immediately took him off eight of the meds
and told him his kidneys were in toxicity and if it wasn't stopped, he'd
have to go on dialysis. Sam went into group, saw a therapist and joined
other counseling sessions. Eventually after a few years, he was able to
recover and find purpose in his life helping other returning vets. But
the young, enthusiastic man who went off to preserve this country from
terrorism vanished as if in a dream. He and his family will feel the
impact of his time in Iraq for the rest their lives. But in this
knowing, Sam is able to greatly help others who are returning to a
culture that often doesn't understand and appears to be callous toward
them in the extreme.

Oftentimes, the family suffers along with the
veteran. Patrick Stewart in a poignant revelation discussed how his
father, who fought during WWII, abused him and his mother. Years later
Stewart was told by an expert in the field that his father was suffering
from PTSD and because he was never treated, it never left him. In the
1940s, this severe physical and psychological condition was known by the
benign euphemism as "shell shock," and vets were left to handle their
condition on their own, as they "bucked up and were men." Because of
Stewart's traumatized childhood in remembrance of his father he supports
the non profit UK organization Combat Stress and for his mother, Refuge, a non profit organization which gives women and children a SAFE
refuge from violent partners/ spouses.

As is suggested in Sam's story, when vets came back from the war in Iraq, they were dislocated and the culture and doctors outside the VA were widely clueless even inattentive about PTSD. As a result of celebrity media attention, films, unfavorable and alarming statistics, tragic events and many vets speaking out, there has been forward momentum in educating the public and the medical profession about the traumatic physical and psychological burdens vets face coming home. Currently, in the United States as in the UK, with the help of vocal veterans, family members and celebrities bringing funds and awareness, non profits and branches of the military have created initiatives and programs some of which are on the forefront of new strategies to help vets recover from PTSD. Some of the following initiatives and organizations you may have heard of. Others I introduce here are innovative approaches helping vets deal with PTSD, including one I recently became aware of this weekend.

Non Profit Organizations:1. The Wounded Warrior Project
The WWP helps vets recovering from severe physical and emotional injuries.
It has done much to inform and expose the maiming severity of PTSD as a
soul and spirit injury for vets like Sam, some who may return without
physical injuries. The Wounded Warrior Program has a number of programs.

Combat Stress Recovery Program. The "Combat Stress Recovery Program,"
helps returning warriors deal with mental health and cognitive needs.
The beauty of the program is that it provides services at key stages
during a warrior's readjustment process. The program approaches PTSD and
combat/operational stress from the warrior's perspective. The "stigma"
associated with mental health, access to care and challenges to
interpersonal relationships is overcome by understanding the situation
of war and combat that soldiers face in the field.

The "Restore Warriors" website
offers immediate engagement and feedback online in the privacy of one's
home. The site offers a brief self-assessment tool if warriors want to
get in touch with where they are in their emotional present. An online
help tool offers warriors proactive self-help exercises for each element
related to the following: stress, relationships, loss, self-esteem,
betrayal, shame and guilt, self-care. Professional help contacts are
given on the site and a warrior is a click away from a Live Chat or
phone call with another warrior. Videos of warriors are also given with
their stories, impressions and struggles. They are feeling and heartfelt
and tie warriors together as a band of brothers helping one another.

Project Odyssey,is a program which uses nature and the outdoors in a more holistic approach toward recovery. Project Odyssey offers outdoor, rehabilitative retreats that help vets
foster connections with the peaceful beauty of natural surroundings. On
these retreats vets are able to share activities and experiences with
peers, the Odyssey staff and trained counselors. Outdoor, recreational
activities include horseback riding, canoeing, whitewater rafting,
kayaking, rock climbing, a high ropes course, fishing, skeet shooting,
sled hockey and skiing at retreats held in various locations around the
country. Vets have the time and opportunity to develop inner strengths
and renew their courage to continue recovering and healing from the long
war. It has been found that the experiences gained from Project Odyssey
allow vets to face the challenges related to combat stress by helping
them improve their mental attitudes and outlook. The environment is one
of inspiration and encouragement for them "to build new skills, connect
with peers, and find support for combat stress among Wounded Warrior
Project® (WWP) staff and trained counselors."

2. Omega Institute in
Rhinebeck, New York is a nonprofit center for lifelong learning. The Omega Institute,
dedicated to awakening the best in the human spirit (since 1977) offers
workshops, conferences, R&R retreats and online learning in addition
to other programs on their 200-acre campus in the heart of the Hudson
Valley. For more than 20 years Omega Institute has supported
individuals, vets and family members dealing with PTSD.
This year they are offering a handful of workshops/conferences to
address the various needs of military communities, families dealing with
PTSD, and professionals working with active duty soldiers or veterans
of any war. In April, Omega Institute hosted a 5-day
retreat for vets living with PTSD entitled, "The Costs of War, Violence
& Denial" to learn meditation techniques for improved well-being.

Mark your calendar for upcoming workshops/conferences being held in
October.
On October 18-20 Omega will be convening a weekend conference for Health-Care
Professionals working with vets and their families: "Veterans, Trauma
& Treatment: Best Mind-Body Practices." The conference is providing information
on the cutting-edge mind-body modalities that the military is
investigating as a complement to traditional drug/talk programs. From
October 20-25, a 5-day workshop is planned for yoga
teachers
servicing military communities, entitled "Teaching Yoga in Military
Communities: Advanced Teaching Skills for Addressing Combat-Related
Issues." Additionally, from October 20-25, Omega is offering "Healing
from Military Trauma: A Retreat for Military Women and Women Veterans."
Tiered pricing and scholarships are offered for many programs.

3. The Paws of War
is a holistic program that provides treatment
for the whole person through an intangible relationship with another
being. This therapy dog program has been developed by the New York-based
group Guardians of Rescue.
GoR rescues dogs that either are strays or dogs that have to be left
behind by deployed soldiers. The group then trains the dogs to become
"buddies" for soldiers returning from the war zone with PTSD. Therapy
dogs have been shown to help those with combat stress. The dogs provide
comfort, unconditional affection and love. They offer a more potent
connection than the isolating human interactions from those in a
peacetime culture that little understands warfare and military society,
as has been indicated by vets' increased suicide rates and violent events, some enacted by vets who were attempting to deal with PTSD.
How
the program works is the dogs received from shelters are evaluated
prior to training to make sure they qualify. Each dog is carefully
matched up with their vet/owner and follow up help and training is
provided by GoR as well as free transportation and delivery. GoR gives a
100% guarantee with their buddies and will take a dog back if things
don't work out. All Paws of War PTSD dogs are certified service dogs.
Their certification qualifies them to travel in all public venues
(including airlines, taxis, restaurants, etc.) with their military
veteran owner as protected through the ADA (Americans with Disabilities
Act). Because Guardians of Rescue relies solely on public donations,
there is no cost to the veteran.

These rescued dogs rescue their
owners by helping restore their connections to civilian life through
their love, support and enthusiasm. Vets find their relationship with
their dog and caring for their dog makes it easier to get out of the
hell of depression, sleeplessness and even pain from disabling physical
injuries. Guardian volunteer U.S. Army Corporal John Walis, recovering
from PTSD after serving in Afghanistan attests to the healing power of
these therapy dogs in his testimony on the Paws of War website.

4. Warrior Writers is a national non-profit to promote recovery from PTSD and other issues military personnel have faced through their writing. Warrior Writers creates a
culture that articulates veterans’ experiences. It provides a creative
community for artistic expression. Most importantly this organization bears witness of the lived
experiences of warriors. Click for Brochure

This weekend I had the good fortune to attend "Smashing the Stigma: Female Veterans Take the Stage," which was a one night performance as part of the Women Center Stage Festival at The Culture Project in NYC. Five veterans, members of Warrior Writers from various branches of the military, presented their incredible work, expressing the truth of their experiences: their pain, their struggles, their scars, their triumphs. Five women told their individual stories about war, trauma, rape and motherhood. Most discussed how they are coping with PTSD. The women, Jenny Pacanowski, Susanne Rossignol, Nicole Goodwin, Jennifer Cole and Marie Delus shared personal moments. They revealed how their writings in workshops and in the community of Warrior Writers have enabled them to move forward in their lives, make sense of their journeys and embrace the hardships and the healing, never forgetting the loss, the sacrifice and the selves they left behind in the military and the war they continue to face at home.

It was obvious to me from this performance that the program, Warrior Writers, connects a community of male and female warriors which has reached deep within to a soulful humanity. In the talk back after the performances Sunday night, no one in the audience wanted to leave. Their writings had touched us in a way that the hollow writings of civilians could never do. It resonated and struck deep into common feelings of life battles along our human travels. Though we may not understand the terrors of combat, we as civilians can empathize with the loneliness, fear and brokenness of the human condition. The recovery they've achieved is ongoing and through their writings they are giving voice to that which has been unspeakable.

US Military's Innovative Initiatives to Help With PTSD

.
Because
of the mediocre success rate of giving active soldiers meds to cope or sending vets
home with bottles of pills and a few therapy sessions to "cure" PTSD,
the military, the VA and others have had to rethink such strategies.
There are no quick and dirty answers, no facile cures. Many have come to
believe that PTSD can be mitigated but never cured. To be effective and
deep, the restoration must be gradual, the therapeutic process affirming,
empathetic and uplifting. This takes time. There will be set backs.
There must be a strong emotional component delivered by like minded
individuals who have experienced trauma and who perhaps are farther
along in the process to guide, offer a hand when needed and know when to
back off when the anger comes until it breaks into the underlying
sorrow and eventual reaching out for solace.

Soldiers in active duty
who face PTSD need tools to help them regroup emotionally, de-compress
and handle high levels of stress more effectively. Holistic and
wellness practitioners who employ techniques like yoga, meditation,
healing touch, craniosacral therapy, healthy, clean food and cleanses,
guided spiritual principles even music therapy,
suggest that these techniques can enhance and restore the broken
mind-body connections and return soldiers and vets to a state of
increased well being. The military has come to realize the truth of this and has embraced holistic approaches to encourage recovery for active soldiers and for veterans.

1. The Warrior Resilence Center in Fort Bliss, Texas
is the Army's premiere PTS treatment facility. It uses alternative
medical practices and holistic approaches which have been found to be
more effective based on objective data that the Warrior Resilence Center
keeps and monitors. There are 14 similar facilities across the Army,
including resilience centers in the war zone like The Freedom Restoration Center at Bagram Airfield,
the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan.

However, each program
differs because of available local resources and counselors' insights
into what appears to be most helpful based upon the individual
participants. The program is four weeks. Soldiers in the program remain
assigned to their current units. However, their duty station for four
weeks is the Warrior Resilience Center, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The
goal is to expose them to a little bit of everything so that, at the end
of the four week period, they can help come up with an after-care
program. After participants have tried all of the alternative
treatments, they select which ones they prefer, which ones appear to
work best as tools they can rely on to treat the symptoms of PTS and
move forward.

The staff of 13 clinical social workers,
psychologists, reiki master teachers, licensed massage therapists, an
acupuncturist, and a yoga, tai chi and qigong instructor work together
as a team to help the Soldiers. In addition to the various alternative
treatments which participants select as the most effective, they also
receive intensive therapy sessions. They have individual therapy twice a
week and group therapy four times a week. According to social workers
it is common to hear families praise the program and hear soldiers say
the program saved their lives. The tools help soldiers return to their
careers in the military where they are able to assist other soldiers. It
is hoped that using these new techniques will also aid them in
preserving their well being so they will continue the practices and better
adapt to civilian life after their military service has ended.

Military Websites - The Department of Veterans Affairs

Meanwhile, until soldiers and veterans acknowledge that they are injured emotionally and psychologically, there are online sites which can bring soldiers toward the journey of realization.

1.Make the Connection
is a personalized site helping vets and family connect with other vets
and family going through similar experiences. They are able to share
experiences and discover others' stories as well as share their own
concerning a range of life issues from the loss of a family member to
homelessness, addiction, employment and financial issues and
relationship problems to name a few. Throughout the site, there are
links to PTSD categories which direct the vets or family for help.

2. The Veterans Affairs National Center on PTSD offers
public and professional information about PTSD. On the "For Public"
section, soldiers stories are presented. There are category links "just
for women," self-assessment, self-help, treatment, therapies, PTSD
communities, types of trauma, common problems, etc. The site also
informs about current research initiatives on PTSD. For
the"Professional" section one finds links like Co-occurring problems and
treating specific groups to name a few. Links to assessment are in both
the public and professional sections.

What have some individuals done? James Gandolfini was a proponent for supporting vets with PTSD
and he remained on the front lines speaking out and raising
money. Using his notoriety and connections, he drew attention to the
vets' culture clash after returning home by producing two documentaries.
In Alive Day: Home from Iraq (2007)
Gandolfini personally interviewed 10 survivors of the Iraq War on the
challenges they faced returning to civilian life. In 2010 he produced
another documentary called Wartorn 1861-2010 (It won a Prism Award for Best Documentary) which focused on vets with PTSD from the Civil War to the present.

What
can we do? We must expand our awareness and sensitivity toward
returning vets and deployed soldiers. We must support all veterans,
encourage them, be prayerful and hopeful. We can also petition our
representatives ensuring that if any programs are to be cut, the last
ones to be cut should be those supporting vets, their families and those
still deployed in the Middle East. No family member upon welcoming
their returning loved one home after agonizing months fearing for their
safety should have to experience their suicide or other terrible event
because their loved one's PTSD was left untreated.

Until then
though the wars may end and the troops return home, their fight goes on.
Keep them in remembrance and donate when you can to the Wounded Warrior
Project and these other non profits.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Woody Allan's brilliant comedy remake Don't Drink the Water (1994) based on his stage play of the same title (1966) about a family's mad cap experiences seeking refuge and escape from the American Embassy in Russia during the cold war is aptly named. In 1966 when Allan wrote the play, Americans traveling to non European countries weren't guaranteed safe drinking water and most likely would become sick, so they were warned off the tap unless they were in a 5 star hotel.

That was then. Now, the words "don't drink the water" send chills up the spines of many of us especially after Dick Cheney's tenure at Halliburton, his Vice-Presidency and the cozy relationships that corporations enjoy with our political leaders thanks to the Citizens United court case. We have seen and heard about egregious pollution scandals based on true to life stories, in Wooburn, Mass. (film, A Civil Action) and the PG & E lawsuit in California in the film Erin Brokovitch. In both instances companies contaminated drinking water from the wells that serviced families making it into a hazard that killed. The polluting companies settled to make the suits go away, never admitting their chemicals in the water brought sickness and death. Publicity from these cases and many others have smartened some of us up to drink bottled water, have reverse osmosis filters, distill our own water or have water companies deliver shipments to our homes. It has come to this; "don't drink the water" is a cruel joke for the US. We have devolved into a developing nation, thanks to corporations whose greed is transforming clear, clean drinking water into an unsafe, toxic liquid detrius, unless, of course, we speak out and prevent them, while "clean water supplies last!"

This unfortunate situation is occurring despite such acts as the Safe Water Drinking Act and the Clean Water Act. The water supply for many Americans has been and is being compromised. Because of corporate power leveraged by millions of dollars, the EPA is powerless or dilatory in bringing the polluters to task. This was before the groundbreaking documentary Gasland by Josh Fox. After the documentary's release at Sundance and nomination for awards, many became aware of the term "fracking" made famous by the film. Now they generally know that if a company is fracking an area, there is a good chance that the groundwater may become contaminated by the chemicals used in the process because of migration. We may need natural gas, but must we sacrifice our water for it?

Gasland II is showing on HBO July 8th, 9:00-11:15 ET/PT

Matthew Sanchez editor of Gasland and Gasland II with Director Josh Fox speaking at a reception and screening at HBO.

Pete Seeger singing "To Everything There is a Season" cupping his hands to hear the audience participate. At the 2013 Clearwater Festival, which Seeger and friends founded in 1969 to clean up the Hudson River. The festival has expanded its activism to close Indian River and ban fracking in NY.

Last week on June 25th the director ofGasland was at the HBO theater in NYC with friends, family and supporters to celebrate the screening of Gasland II, the dynamic and chilling sequel to his Academy Award nominated documentary Gasland, which explained the horrific impact of hydraulic fracturing-the process used to extract natural gas from shale. The documentary Gasland II debuted on HBO, MONDAY, July 8th. It is currently being shown ON DEMAND and is free for HBO subscribers.

Debra Winger in discussion with Cindy Adams from the New York Post. Debra Winger was a consultant and creative adviser on Gasland II, as noted by Fox when he introduced Winger and she joined others onstage during the talk back after the screening. Winger also worked on Gasland with Fox. She smiled and responded to a question about her input that, at times, she "has been known to produce, direct and write." Clearly, her environmental stance is well known and she has been an invaluable collaborator on the documentaries. In the Q and A, Winger's experience came to the fore when she affirmed that the mainstream media is not going to publicize or cover the detrimental impact of fracking.

Aidan Quinn, Debra Winger, Arliss Howard, Steve Jordan,
Former Congressman Maurice Hinchey and family, were a few of the guests
and advocates who joined Josh Fox to spur on
the democratic process about fracking issues. Fox referred to some of the guests as his special friends. These are the living witnesses to the
horrors of the fracking experience. These are the ones whose water hoses
breathe fire, whose homes are worthless and who were the innocents who
trusted the Gas and Oil companies' lies that having wells near their
houses/land would not be harmful to their kids, their animals, their
property, themselves. These are the ones who do not dare drink or cook
with their tap water, but have to have it trucked in at a cost either
they or we must pay, the import of which Gasland II makes globally clear.

The film which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival to begrudgingly positive reviews has been screened in small towns nationwide. Fox and supporters decided to take it on a grassroots tour ahead of the HBO showing on July 8th. These were special screenings that began in Normal, Illinois. Why there? The Illinois legislature supported the Gas and Oil Industry, and Fox determined that the film would serve as a flashpoint revealing the unresponsiveness of the legislators to the will of the people who want a ban on fracking. When in conversation with Fox over the "unsuccessfulness" of the protest in Illinois, he countered that the populist support to ban fracking had grown. When the politicians had voted in support of the companies, the crowds at the hearing chanted, "Shame, shame, shame!" Clearly, the legislators were subservient not to their voters, but to the companies whose money and power influenced the acceptance of fracking in the state.
According to Fox, the anti-fracking advocates of Illinois are becoming legion, exacerbated by the truculent, recalcitrant legislators. Thus, the tour launch in Normal was a symbolic move and an uplifting one. Josh Fox appears to be ready for any and all
pyrotechnics the corporate mighty and their media may be intending to send his way when Gasland II debuts.

One
can understand how this gentle, unassuming spirit has created a
mountain of controversy. With his signature banjo playing of "America
the Beautiful" to close out the film credits and a relaxed Q & A
afterward, Fox is an everyman. His wry humor and insightful, prescient
viewpoint in the first film is powered up in the second for good reason.
Thirty-two countries globally are fracking. Nationally 34 states have
thousands of wells.

I also had the opportunity to speak with cast members John Fenton and Victoria Switzer. John is the Founder of Artists Against Fracking, from Pavillion, Wyoming. He is a tall, imposing man who is on a mission, and who speaks with power and eloquence about his experiences. I asked him how he got to know Josh Fox. John Fenton said that Fox visited the area and then asked if he could stay with him. They became friends as Fox covered the story and Fenton shared his home and his heart. Fenton made it a point to affirm how important it is to speak out about fracking and what it does to the environment and the lives of those who lease their land to the companies, or who are unfortunate to be living near fracking wells. Fenton said he will not be silenced. It is his obligation to speak out and to share what is going on. During the Q and A, he spoke out and received applause, his words resonating with the audience. Clearly, he has become a spokesperson in the campaign to ban fracking.

Former Congressman Maurice Hinchey, John Fenton speaking out.

Victoria Switzer is also an eloquent and heartfelt spokeswoman. She had words of praise for New Yorkers and cautioned me that we must never accept fracking in the state. She said once "they are in, they put in well after well. It isn't just one." She also referred to the companies as sending their "fiery darts" and we must reject them. The ironic comment was not lost on me. Certainly, the flames are iconic of the results of fracking on well water. The flames also reference potential gas explosions that can and have occurred as methane leaks and migrates. Methane migration and leakage has turned homes near wells into ticking time bombs. Some houses have become filled with so much methane, inspectors have told occupants to get out. (Methane, a dense, heavy greenhouse gas is produced during the extraction process. Folks, just say "clean natural gas." NOT! It is worse on the environment than CO2 emissions.)

Victoria Switzer mentioned that the companies didn't let on that the impact would be what it is. They implied that the water would be OK and that the drilling wouldn't have the negative impact that it has had (water contamination). The companies minimized the results of fracking, In other words, they committed a kind of fraud, perhaps, but of course, this is a slippery slope and subject to interpretation. The impression I received is if the companies had said to the Switzers and others some of the research that has been done on well cement failures and migration, the folks never would have allowed them access to their property.

Fox has highlighted Fenton, Switzer and others who have suffered the oppression of the Gas and Oil industry. His view is reasoned and clear: as citizens of this country, shouldn't we have access to clean, clear, non
chemical water? This question is compelling and it crosses political lines and drives to the heart of human survival. We need clean water. Corporations are depriving us of this right. But is anyone listening? Where is our EPA in all of this?

Sherie Nevins (of HBO) Aidan Quinn, Josh Fox

The film's perspective has been enough to marshal the Gas and Oil Industry
into heavy PR warfare against Fox, anti-fracking non profit groups, and
those on the front lines like John Fenton and Victoria Switzer. However, despite their tactics, Fenton and others are standing up to companies by speaking out, by silently protesting, by litigating, by refusing to sell their
homes and sign non-disclosure agreements. They are doing what they can and are pushing back BECAUSE, UNLIKE THE CORPORATIONS, they have nothing to lose. What they valued, their homes, property and their health has been taken from them and they had little to say about it because they committed the crime of not asking the right questions, not that the companies would have given them the right answers. In fact, they were misled and/or duped. It's the "F" word.

That is one of the most vital aspects of their story, the story that Fox is hammering out so that we will understand it in all of its ugliness and abuse and then be motivated to do something: first, ban all fracking. Second, advocate for renewable, sustainable energy. Fox will continue to take GaslandII on the road with Q and As and talk backs. With supporters and all present at the HBO
reception, he is looking forward to its debut on HBO with
anticipation and excitement.